Shaikh A.Hameed: Fasting Strengthens, polishes the human qualities

In this Friday of Makki masjid’s prayers Shaikh Abdul Hameed, the head of Daruluoom Zahedan, explained the virtues of fasting and its impact on human life. After recitation of the Quranic verse:

“شَهْرُ رَمَضَانَ الَّذِي أُنْزِلَ فِيهِ الْقُرْآَنُ هُدًى لِلنَّاسِ وَبَيِّنَاتٍ مِنَ الْهُدَى وَالْفُرْقَانِ فَمَنْ شَهِدَ مِنْكُمُ الشَّهْرَ فَلْيَصُمْهُ وَمَنْ كَانَ مَرِيضًا أَوْ عَلَى سَفَرٍ فَعِدَّةٌ مِنْ أَيَّامٍ أُخَرَ يُرِيدُ اللَّهُ بِكُمُ الْيُسْرَ وَلَا يُرِيدُ بِكُمُ الْعُسْرَ وَلِتُكْمِلُوا الْعِدَّةَ وَلِتُكَبِّرُوا اللَّهَ عَلَى مَا هَدَاكُمْ وَلَعَلَّكُمْ تَشْكُرُونَ”
[The month of Ramadan in which was revealed the Qur’an, a guidance for mankind and clear proofs for the guidance and the criterion (between right and wrong). So whoever of you sights (the crescent on the first night of) the month (of Ramadan, i.e., is present at his home), he must observe Sawm (fasting) that month, and whoever is ill or on a journey, the same number ﴿of days which one did not observe Sawm (fasting) must be made up﴾ from other days. Allah intends for you ease, and He does not want to make things difficult for you. (He wants that you) must complete the same number (of days), and that you must magnify Allah ﴿i.e. to say Takbir (Allahu Akbar: Allah is the Most Great) for having guided you so that you may be grateful to Him.)]; (Al-Baqarah: 185)
Imam and khateeb of Sunni community for Jumah prayer in Zahidan said, “The human being is created extremely different then the other creatures; as two contrast  features: the animals characteristic and the spiritual acts have been placed into them, thus he is a political animal on side, and he is an angel on the other hand, so each human does relationship with the materials as it has connection with the angels, as it is clear that each human is made of two main things: the body, which is shaped from clay, in the same way other animals are also shaped from clay and the second thing is soul obviously it does connection with upper creature of angels.
More over respected sheikh said: that to define human being by: “ the animal which can talk” is incomplete, they should define it by: “the animal and angel” because each human being in the sight of Islamic law contains two major qualities which are contrast of each others; that is why after having such different features every person has two different wishes: [1] The desires of animals; [2] The qualities of angels, the first one pulls the man to wards eating, drinking, the materialistic things like carnal activities are drawn by this one. Second one is the angel’s desires it pushes the persons to wards paradise (jannah) and to the superior place near to God almighty, these two contrast features of humans fight with each others, some times  the characteristics of animals overcome on the mankind, so he moves if he is a forest animal, thus killing the innocent people, stealing things, snatching others properties and such other bad habits come from them easily, moreover after doing such hated acts they consider them selves the powerful people. And some times the spiritual activities took place in the lives of human beings, then such human helps others, respects them, loves them and the other bundle of good acts become very easy for him. So from the above discussion it becomes very clear easily that none comes in this world along with the perfect position having all the qualities, rather every one must work hard to achieve the superior place and to reform him self first then others.
The mankind is formed between the angels and the animals; that is why he has a leaving towards both the characteristics of each of them, when the animal’s characteristics side overcomes on him, he does the sins, disobeys the God orders, in addition to it eating and collecting of wealth and other materials become his main aim of his life in this world. This Quranic verse is reveled to tells us that when a mankind becomes an animal so which kind of desires reflect in to his being as the holy Quran says:
َلَوْ شِئْنَا لَرَفَعْنَاهُ بِهَا وَلَكِنَّهُ أَخْلَدَ إِلَى الْأَرْضِ وَاتَّبَعَ هَوَاهُ فَمَثَلُهُ كَمَثَلِ الْكَلْبِ إِنْ تَحْمِلْ عَلَيْهِ يَلْهَثْ أَوْ تَتْرُكْهُ يَلْهَثْ ذَلِكَ مَثَلُ الْقَوْمِ الَّذِينَ كَذَّبُوا بِآَيَاتِنَا فَاقْصُصِ الْقَصَصَ لَعَلَّهُمْ يَتَفَكَّرُونَ” َلَوْ شِئْنَا لَرَفَعْنَاهُ بِهَا وَلَكِنَّهُ أَخْلَدَ إِلَى الْأَرْضِ وَاتَّبَعَ هَوَاهُ فَمَثَلُهُ كَمَثَلِ الْكَلْبِ إِنْ تَحْمِلْ عَلَيْهِ يَلْهَثْ أَوْ تَتْرُكْهُ يَلْهَثْ ذَلِكَ مَثَلُ الْقَوْمِ الَّذِينَ كَذَّبُوا بِآَيَاتِنَا فَاقْصُصِ الْقَصَصَ لَعَلَّهُمْ يَتَفَكَّرُونَ”
[And had We willed, We would surely have elevated him therewith, but he clung to the earth and followed his own vain desires. So his parable is the parable of a dog: if you drive him away, he pants, or if you leave him alone, he (still) pants. Such is the parable of the people who reject Our Ayat. So relate the stories, perhaps they may reflect. Evil is the parable of the people who rejected Our Ayat, and used to wrong themselves.) ] (A’raf: 76, 77)
Certainly after having such prohibited deeds a person becomes similar to animal, so according to Qur’an he is like a dog whether he wears expensive dresses or lives in worthy bungalows.
Respected Shaikh pointed towards the prophets’ instructions that all the apostles and messengers, specially the last prophet Mohammad صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم  taught us the elements which can strengthen in human life the angle’s characteristics rather than the animal’s ones, thus he gets a great status near to his Lord and becomes very close to his creator Allah almighty.

After making this valuable introductory talk the khateeb of Makki masjid said, “The obligatory of fasting is an important order of Allah almighty which gets the believers close to God as well as it enhances and strengthens the angel’s characteristics into their lives, in addition to it this month is to recite the holy Qur’an in and to worship only God almighty, so we must pray to God and offer prayers, the rewards during the month of Ramdhan are multiplied tremendously, except fasting because it is only for Allah almighty as it is narrated in one hadeeth:
“كل عمل ابن آدم له إلا الصوم فإنه لي وأنا أجزي به”
[Every deed is for human except fasting; it is for me and I will reward it my self.]
Shaikh added more that if we stay a way from eating, drinking and having any kind of sex in the month of Ramadan so it is also very necessary to keep our selves far a way from sins, doing wrong, fighting if some one fights with us we should say to him I am observing fasting. In the same way it is the month in which to donate the poor, to help the weak people, to take care of helpless students, to spend the money in the path of Allah and we should forgive each others.
In short the believers should not be lazy and indolent in this great month, it is the good luck of those people who observes fasting and offers day and night prayers not only in this month rather the complete year he does it, and no doubt those who do not take care of such great and valuable times, unfortunately they have extremely bad luck that they remained deprived of blessings of God in such a great month. It is the month that while doing good deeds we should compete with each other, as Allah almighty says:
“ففي ذلك فليتنافس المتنافسون”
[And for this let those strive who want to strive]
It is such a great month that the one who misses a single fasting of it, if he has fasting of his complete life it would not fulfill it, as the holy prophet صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم says:
“من أفطر يوما من رمضان من غير عذر ولا مرض لم يقضه صيام الدهر وإن صامه”
[Who does not have fasting of Ramadan with out any excuse or any sickness, if he has the fasting of his complete life so it would not be equal to it.]
That is why we should be active to get the rewards which are given in this holy month. Respected sheikh continued saying that it is narrated in one hadeeth:
“من قام رمضان إيمانا واحتسابا غفر له ما تقدم من ذنبه”
Narrated Abu Huraira (RA): I heard Allah’s Apostle صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم saying regarding Ramadan, “Whoever prayed at night in it (the month of Ramadan) out of sincere Faith and hoping for a reward from Allah, then all his previous sins will be forgiven.” (Bukhari)
No doubt the holy prophet and his companions used to respect a lot the month of Ramadan as it has come from them that the apostle of Allah came out one night in the month of Ramadan and in the mid night lead them prayer in masque, the people gathered around and talked about this kind of prayer, then it was continued up till to three nights while at the fourth night holy prophet had come out just for the Fajr prayer and after prayer turning to the people first praised Allah almighty then said: your gathering in the masque was not hidden from me, but I did it in order to not be obligatory on you.
Talking about Taraweeh prayers he further said that the Sunnah of Taraweeh according to most Scholars is that this prayer is to be performed in congregation (in congregation) and that was the practice of the Sahaba (RA), which the head of believers Umar e Farooq (RA) initiated.
‘Abdur Rahman bin ‘Abdul Qari (RA) said, “I went out in the company of ‘Umar bin Al-Khattab (RA) one night in Ramadan to the mosque and found the people praying in different groups. A man praying alone or a man praying with a little group behind him. So, ‘Umar (RA) said, ‘in my opinion I would better collect these (people) under the leadership of one Qari (Reciter) (i.e. let them pray in congregation!)’. So, he made up his mind to congregate them behind Ubai bin Ka’b (RA). Then on another night I went again in his company and the people were praying behind their reciter. On that, ‘Umar (RA) remarked, ‘what an excellent Bid’a (i.e. innovation in religion) this is; but the prayer which they do not perform, but sleep at its time is better than the one they are offering.’ He meant the prayer in the last part of the night. (In those days) people used to pray in the early part of the night.” (Bukhari)  
The 20 Rak’ats Taraweeh prayer is a Sunnah Muakkadah which were performed in the days of Khulafa e Rashideen (may Allah be pleased with them).
At the end respected Sunni scholar asked the police and security forces of Iran to take care of the public and they should not open fire on them on suspicious bases. The majority of the people in Sistan and Baluchistan province are suffering from poverty because of unemployment. The officials must root out the main reasons of goods smuggling not to eliminate compelled people.
Worthy to mention that recently the Iranian police have targeted many citizens those were involved in fuel smuggling at border areas of Baluchistan.